The U.S. FDA has announced that on June 15, 2017, U.S. Marshals seized food held at Professional Warehouse and Distribution in St. Paul, Minnesota. Those products are worth about $73,000 and include barley flour, spices, pasta, dried beans, tea, and cookies.
A complaint filed by the U.S. Department of Justice was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota alleged the foods are adulterated under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The storage conditions inside the warehouse were “simply unacceptable,” according to the FDA.
Melinda K. Plaisier, FDA’s Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs said, “The FDA plays a key role protecting public health and ensuring not only that food is properly manufactured and labeled, but that it is handled and stored correctly as well. The FDA took action to protect Americans.”
The facility was inspected two times in 2015. During the first inspection, FDA found insanitary conditions that could cause the foods to become adulterated. Another inspection was conducted in October 2015. The company had not implemented corrective actions it had promised during the first inspection. More adverse conditions were found at the warehouse.
Then, during the latest inspection in 2017, more problems were discovered. On May 26, 2017, FDA administratively detained food products at the facility after witnessing “widespread vermin activity” that was affecting the stored food. Those products were then seized by the U.S. Marshals or were embargoed by the state of Minnesota.
No illnesses have been associated with food products held at Professional Warehouse and Distribution.
